TEACHER DEVELOPMENT: TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN 21ST CENTURY

Teacher development has emerged over the last decade as a recognised area of study. Teacher development means, in terms of teachers' own understandings of how they go on learning and becoming better at what they are doing. Teacher development is a process, not an event. It involves change over time and is achieved in stages. The stages are related to teachers' experience gained in instructional and management practices over their career. Teachers must understand what it is to be an effective 21st century teacher with the abilities to develop the necessary skills. Effective educational leadership helps to make a difference in improving learning. Leadership is for everyone and as a result everyone is empowered to learn. Teachers are empowered to inquire into their practice to solve learning and teaching problems. As educational leaders, classroom teachers, students and parents will agree, 21st century teaching carries with a complicated mix of challenges and opportunities. Challenges include the issues of teacher turnover, accountability, changing student populations and student expectations, increasing budget pressures, and intense demand to build students' 21st century skills. Thus, the present paper attempts to analyse Teacher development: Towards educational leadership in 21st century.